Chris Dolman

Chris Dolman
Christiaan "Chris" Dolman (born 17 February 1945) is a Dutch retired judoka, sambo player and wrestler. He won a silver medal at the European championship in judo and a gold at the world championship in sambo, counting as the first non-Russian sambo world champion, and has over 40 national and 10 international championships. He is known for his career in Fighting Network Rings and for his role training several Dutch Mixed Martial Artists and Kickboxers, among them Bas Rutten, Alistair and Valentijn Overeem, Gilbert Yvel and Gegard Mousasi.
Career
Dolman started training judo under Jon Bluming at the Tung-Yen dojo while in college. He became a professional competitor shortly after. In 1970, he extended his competition to sambo by taking part in an international tournament in Moscow. Reportedly, Dolman had no sambo experience, having watched his first practice session of the art two days before the event, and still he dominated the tournament with just his judo and wrestling training.
His first visit to the Japanese rings was in 1976, backing Willem Ruska during his professional wrestling match against Antonio Inoki in New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Inspired by this kind of competition, he celebrated a tournament of modern pankration in Holland in 1981. In 1984, Dolman had his own professional wrestling debut in Universal Wrestling Federation, wrestling Kazuo Yamazaki in a different style fight which Dolman won by armbar.
After UWF's demise, Dolman was contacted by Akira Maeda for his Fighting Network Rings promotion. Leading a stable of Dutch apprentices, which included Dick Vrij, Gilbert Yvel, Valentijn Overeem and other names, Dolman became Maeda's first rival in Rings. He would win the inaugural Rings Mega Battle Tournament in 1993 defeating Maeda in the finals, although the Japanese got revenge on him eliminating him from the 1993 edition. After being eliminated by Yoshihisa Yamamoto the next year, Dolman would stop competing in the tournament, dedicating himself fully to his stablemaster role. His final in-ring match was in 1995, defeating his underling Joop Kasteel.
According to Jon Bluming, Dolman challenged the Gracie family several times during his stint in Rings, but they never answered his letters.
He currently teaches at the Chakuriki/Pancration Gym along with Thom Harinck and leads the RINGS Holland promotion.
Championships and accomplishments
Greco-Roman/Freestyle Wrestling
1966 Benelux Championship
1967 Benelux Championship
1968 Benelux Championship
1969 Benelux Championship
Judo
1974 European Judo Championship 93 kg class silver medalist
1966 European Youth Judo Championship
1965 Netherlands Youth Judo Championship
Eight times Netherlands Judo Championship
Professional Wrestling
Fighting Network Rings
Mega Battle Tournament (1992)
Sambo
1969 World Sambo Championship gold medalist
1985 World Sambo Championship gold medalist
World Games 1985 Sambo Championship 100 kg class gold medalist
National A.A.U. Sambo Championship (1978)
References
External links
1945 births
Living people
Dutch male mixed martial artists
Dutch male judoka
Dutch male karateka
Dutch male kickboxers
Dutch sambo practitioners
Kyokushin kaikan practitioners
Heavyweight mixed martial artists
Mixed martial artists utilizing judo
Mixed martial artists utilizing sambo
Mixed martial arts referees
Mixed martial arts trainers
Sportspeople from Amsterdam
World Games gold medalists
Competitors at the 1985 World Games